Balchem Interview Questions
& Process

Got an InMail on LinkedIn about an interview opportunity. After some back and forth and a last-minute reschedule, I had the Teams interview. The HR contact preferred communicating via InMail instead of a Teams invite. The recruiter was quite distant, mentioning it was a confidential search and promising to send over the job description, which they never did. It was tough to prep without the JD, and I even asked for it at the end of our interview. Be cautious with this type of HR interviewer.

I applied online and then got a call from HR for an interview. They offered me an in-person interview at their New Hampton, NY site, which was less than a week after the HR call. The in-person interview took place in a conference room in the office, and I didn't get a tour. I interviewed with a Senior Engineer.

It consisted of a sequence of 6 one-on-one interviews, each lasting about an hour, with important team members. Mine were all done remotely. It was a good chance to get to know the team and the company better.

Got contacted by a recruiter on social media. They knew about my higher salary and longer commute and still pushed me to send my resume. The hiring manager wanted to interview me right away. I met with two people for 30 minutes each, but the interview went over by 30 minutes because it was so engaging. It felt like they really needed someone competent. I discussed my skills and how they'd be a value add, checking off many of the job requirements. Within 3 hours, they wanted to schedule a final round. I met with an HR director and two senior people a week later. The HR chat was standard, covering company culture and the hybrid policy (Fridays at home, 30 WFH days total). I'm not thrilled about being in the office for ~12 weeks a year. The meeting with the two senior folks wasn't as smooth as the first one. It felt rushed, and one interviewer's dog kept barking, disrupting the conversation. This made me question the work environment. I felt good about the first round and okay about the second, expecting a decision within 1-5 days. Two weeks passed with no word. I finally reached out to HR and was told they went with another candidate. They weren't going to inform me proactively. A few takeaways: the company is growing and profitable with decent pay/benefits, but always ask why a position is open. Turns out several people left due to the hybrid model, not the 'great resignation.' They're rigid about the hybrid schedule and flexible work, especially with the long commute. This feels like micromanagement. The hybrid schedule has angered many employees. They struggle to find people willing to commute to New Hampton. They wouldn't have hired me anyway because I was out of their budget. The company seems to micromanage everything. The commute alone would cost me $5k+ annually. It's a waste of a candidate's time when they aren't serious.